Love Across Time
by BlasphemousOrder
Summary: An Arman Pradesh and Lucy Heartfilia story. FT owned by Mashima. Pradesh minus Bickslow, owned by Desna.


Love Across Time – An Arman and Lucy story

As one of the top Ambassadors for Bosco Arman Pradesh could be considered a successful and accomplished man. Over the years of his carrier he's used his hidden skills with sound magic to help him negotiate peace treaties with many countries and make giant leaps on squashing the black market for human trafficking in his home country. Son of a previous General of Immaculate Light, Arman's political influence stemmed much farther than his own achievements earned him over the years into an unofficial title of nobility.

What all of this boiled down to was even if he'd not been an attractive man standing 6'2" with a trim but well-muscled body the widower for over 2 decades was a highly eligible bachelor that many a noble tried to seduce or manipulate into marrying them.

They all went about it the same way too. Money. All those grasping ladies thought was that surely as a single father of eight now fully grown children (6 boys and 2 girls) Arman must want to spend the rest of his life in luxuries only they could provide him. That was enough proof often enough for the seasoned Ambassador to politely decline marriage requests sent to him.

Sound investments as well as inheriting his father's estate made sure the middle aged father and all his children would be well provided for, for years to come.

Those mechanizations were also why he tended to seek his pleasure release with trained professionals instead of taking up frequent offers to share pleasure. It was only in the last week Arman had agreed to share pleasure with his good friend Minda Fashen for the first time since he'd met then married their mutual friend Ganier Roulet. It wasn't because he didn't trust her but more because he knew the way she saw him and he hadn't been in a place until recently to even humor maybe rekindling things between them.

Arman looked down at the woman curled against his side. She was still just as beautiful as she'd been when they were younger, more so now in his opinion. The dusting of gray at her temples, the fine lines around her eyes did nothing but enhance her looks but it was also a constant reminder to him that neither of them were getting younger.

It had been more than 20 years since he'd lost his wife, lost his life's companion and now with all of their children old enough to start families on the own Arman was starting to feel truly lonely. He knew Ganier wouldn't want him to spend the rest of his life alone and unhappy, would want him to find love again, and would most likely celebrate it if he chose to do so with Minda.

The two had grown up together since they were 4 and little had come between them all the years before Ganier's tragic death at the Boscan Embassy in Pergrande only 2 years after they'd married.

Arman got up from the bed tying his long smooth black hair back before tucking Minda back under the covers then picking up his clothes. It was time for him to get dressed and go home. His son Bickslow had said that he was going to call in about an hour with a surprise and the Pradesh patriarch could hardly wait. With Bickslow the surprise could literally be anything.

There was still plenty of time until then and Arman knew he needed the time to organize his thoughts about a potential future with Minda. This was not the first time he'd thought about becoming Promised, a legally recognized relationship the established their desire to maintain a monogamous relationship to see if marriage would be a viable and desirable outcome, to the Air Corp General. Back when they were younger he been seriously considering Promising with her too, had even bought a matte arm band designed specifically for promised people in Bosco's Armed Forces to give her when he asked but that was before he met _her._ His dear Ganier.

It was a party to celebrate Minda's promotion to 2nd Lieutenant when the woman finally introduced her two favorite people in the world to each other for the first time and Arman still remembered the way his heart stopped when their eyes first met. It took only a moment for his entire world to shift completely upside down but he knew immediately, Ganier was the woman for him.

A wonderful loved filled future with beautiful children and laughter spread out before his mind's eye before he even said one word to her. Three short months later they were officially promised.

Arman got into his waiting vehicle. "What's say we head home George," Arman politely requested of his driver as he settled in the smooth leather back seats.

He knew then that Minda had been crushed, loved him deeply but he was not going to lie to her, trap her in a relationship they would both regret because while he loved her, he was in love with Ganier. Arman respected the woman far too much to do that to her. And Minda, instead of becoming bitter and writing them both off congratulated them sincerely and wished them the greatest of all happiness even through her disappointment. Never once had her friendship falter with either of them.

Now here he was again, finally ready to move on from Ganier's memory and contemplating Minda as his life's partner again. He still loved her that was not a question. She had been his best friend all these years now helping every way she could whether it was raising his children or in his work to wipe out child slavers. After this evening is was obvious both were still physically attracted to each other; their shared pleasure had always been pleasant.

The real question was would he, could he, ever be in love with her? After all this time he'd never once felt for Minda the kind of love he'd felt for his late wife. Was it fair to promise then marry such a wonderful woman just to assuage his own loneliness if he could never truly give her what she deserved?

Internally Arman rebelled. He wouldn't wish that on anyone let alone someone he cared for and respected so much. Maybe he just needed a little more time, let his mind settle into the possibility and take it from there?

"Thanks George. I shouldn't need the car for the rest of the day," he said before getting out and walking up to his home, pale green eyes taking in the much larger estate then what it started as on the day he'd it when he was 17. A home that was feeling bigger and emptier every day as his children grew up and got busier in their daily lives.

"Hey Dad!" a voice called startling him from his thoughts. A warm smile lit his face, he didn't need to look up to recognize that voice.

"Bickslow," he greeted arms wide catching the playful rush of his son he'd seen altogether too little of over the years. When seith magic had been outlawed in Bosco because of a dark guild filled of seith mages Arman had had to work quickly to get his blue and black haired boy safely out of the country before the military's enforcement unit came to take him away to be executed. It was only in the last year Arman, with his eldest son Farron's help, got that law reversed.

"Missed you," came Bickslow's gruff voice as the hug lingered, both men needing that solid reassurance that they were really together and everything was well.

"Not as much as I you." Arman cupped his son's face and kissed his brow right over the mark of the magic that had kept them separated for years. "Now, tell me to what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from my little Bixy?" he said extricating himself from Bickslow's engulfing embrace enough for the pair to move towards the house.

"Nothing much. Have a friend from Fairy Tail about to pull her hair out because of her team doesn't know what the word restraint means. Laxus asked me to get her out of dodge while he implemented Kaleb's management system at Fairy Tail and disbanded all the normal teams," he explained casually.

Arman smiled. He'd met Laxus when the young and confused man stayed for a visit while he was kicked out of Fairy Tail. Years of housing a Lighting Dragon's soul with no guidance or help had really done a number on him but Arman was happy to call his son Cristoff, a lunar dragon slayer, in to help get the young man back on track.

"Who is this friend of yours?" His eyes glinted at the possibility of maybe seeing one of his children settled down finally. The rambunctious lot had all so far evaded any romantic entanglements beyond the ever growing piles of marriage requests he got for each of them daily.

"You're as bad as Mira I swear!" Bickslow laughed shaking his head as they made their way to the living room. "You might as well stop right there before you get your hopes up. She's not my soulmate though I'd of happily obliged making you dozens of grandbabies with her had she been." The suggestive look and tongue lollying grin did a lot to smooth over any disappointment. Besides, Arman had 7 other children that just might do for the woman.

He avidly ignored the fact that he hadn't even met her yet let alone the rest of his brood.

"Pops I'd like ya to meet Lucy. Cosplayer, this is my father Arman."

Arman's breath stalled as his eyes met the most beautiful mocha colored doe eyes he's ever seen. For the second time in his life everything around him froze as visions of days filled with laughter and joy with a beautiful blonde stretched out before him. All thoughts of possibly setting her up with any of his children died swiftly because he knew Lucy was his future if she'd have him.

"Enchanted." His voice was husky with restrained emotion as he gently grasped her hand pulling her just a little bit closer. "And welcome to my home." His lips brushed the inside of her wrist and Arman loved the way her heart spend up and pupils dilated.

"Thank you." Her voice came out airily. "It's-" she cleared her throat and Arman could see the way a light pink blush bloomed on her cheeks as he maintained eye contact. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I've been a fan of your peace work for several years now."

"Oh I believe the pleasure is all mind," he practically purred tucking her hand into the crook of his elbow. "Now tell me Lucy," Arman played with the way her name felt on his tongue, "how was your flight? Can I get you something to eat? Drink maybe?" He settled on the loveseat their bodies so close they were brushing.

Bickslow watched bug eyed as his father expertly wooed the outspoken blonde right before his eyes. It was like watching an interesting hybrid of his refined and collected older brother Farron, the Ambassador following in their father's footsteps, and his seductive pleasure seeking youngest brother Vander who lived each day to its fullest never knowing when his spy work put an end to it. He didn't know his father still had move like this in him to be honest.

"Hey Bicksy!" Cristoff cheered, dark blue eyes with silver flecks glimmered with excitement but he came up short when his older brother didn't so much as twitch at his greeting. Cautiously Cristoff moved up next to his side, more silent that would be expected of such a tall brawny body that had muscles on his muscles. He followed Bicksow's line of sight to what had him captivated and eyes faintly glowing green.

Many didn't know this but out of the 6 children their father had adopted, Bickslow and Cristoff were actually cousins by blood and shared some similar traits. The most notable differences were Cristoff's hair was solid black with a dark blue hue that he kept at shoulder length, and while Bickslow was taller Cristoff was wider.

Moving around his unresponsive brother Cristoff finally saw what had him in such a state. His father was sitting there next to a very attractive young woman chatting happily about her first impressions of the Grass Sea. _Nothing extraordinary there,_ he thought when it happened. Ever so smoothly his father reached out brushing back the woman's blonde bangs, which wasn't terribly weird, but it was the way his father let his fingertips ghost across her brow and down her jaw in a sensual caress that had his initial opinion suddenly reversed. The way he leaned in close to her, lips brushing the shell of her ear like a lover as he whispered-.

Cristoff quickly stopped listening focusing his sensitive dragon hearing on anything and everything else while grabbing his brother on the shoulder dragging him out of the living room behind him.

"Huh what? Who? Where?" Bickslow asked completely confused at the abrupt change in location.

"I believe those are my questions brother." Cristoff tried to contain himself so the budding excitement of what he'd seen and the little he'd heard just seconds ago didn't carry him away. "You said you were bringing a friend with you, was that her?"

"Cris," Bickslow shook his head to jump start his thought process so he could interpret everything he'd seen. "I, I think their soulmates," he exhaled harshly; the very idea was still shocking. "The way their souls were wrapping around each other…there are no words it was so beautiful."

"Wait, I thought you said regular people didn't have soulmates?" Cristoff's brow furrowed. He'd seen for himself the way the pair were hitting it off but hadn't even suspected there might be something deeper and more profound happening.

"I'd hardly call Lucy regular." Bickslow laughed humorlessly running his hands down his face. "The girl is like the exception to every rule I know."

"Could it…" Cristoff paused. He didn't know how to breach such a sensitive topic but something had just occurred to him that he couldn't ignore. "Do you think it came from Dad's side? I mean the Archangel magic Zen inherited came from Dad so maybe there's enough there to give him a soulmate?"

"It's possible. There was enough latent Archangel magic in him that Zen was born with it but could that mean…"

"Mean?"

"Cosplayer's a celestial mage Cris, incredibly strong one too. It's why I asked if Zen was still studying in Minstrel when I called. I didn't want the pair to be blinded but that fucked up compulsion magic that's activated whenever Zen gets near a celestial based magic."

"You think maybe the compelling magic might be what has Dad acting so differently?" That was a huge concern. Zen practically became a mindless slave whenever a celestial mage got near him which is why the family sent him to Minstrel to study and better learn his magic instead of the Academe Celestine, a University better suited for his magic but filled to the brim with stellar mages.

Arman had thought Zen had been lost in the same bombing that had taken Ganier from him. There were no remains left in the Embassy, the bomb disintegrating all living material to dusk in seconds, so at one year old it was unlikely the little boy succeeded where everyone else failed but survive he did. Even through years as a lab specimen then enslaved gladiator Zen had come through it all and their family could not stomach the idea that his magic could force him into enslavement yet again.

The family could be fairly certain Zen would be safe from abuse in Minstrel with Xally, the youngest sister, studying medicine nearby and Kaleb's mind link in place. It was a strain the mindbending Mage Guild Master of White Sea was more than up to maintaining to keep his brother grounded enough to escape if necessary.

"Yes… maybe but… not completely?" Bickslow tried to put what he knew into words. "When I saw Zen around that Hestor guy there was a soul deep response there but it was oppressive. Like Hestor's soul was dominating Zen's but with Dad and Lucy? Theirs danced together. Dad was the instigator too so if they're being compelled it's not like what happens to Zen."

Cristoff sighed in relief, his broad shoulders slumping. "That's a relief. It was really nice to see him so interested in a woman for once."

Bickslow's soft smile turned into a wicked smirk. "If they get married Cosplayer's going to be our Mom." He cackled at the awkward thought.

"Talk about a MILF. We'd better warn Vander off though, you know how he is." Cristoff chuckled. They both knew the second their youngest brother say Lucy he'd be an insufferable flirt in his attempts to get up the rare beauty's skirt which had the potential to make things mosre than a little strained with their father.

It also didn't escape the lunar dragon slayer that with Lucy now in the picture their father might be distracted enough to stop hounding them all to settle down and have babies so he had cute little bundles to love and spoil. That job could be up to the young blonde soon enough.

"Oh I want another little sister! You think they'll give me one for Christmas if I ask?" The brothers laughed hard at that as they made plans to enlighten their siblings of the budding romantic. Kaleb would be the ideal first contact, the man could easily reach out and touch each of their siblings' minds to spread the good news.

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"Lucy?" The sound of her name from his lips was like a physical caress against her skin.

"Yes?" she managed out from behind the frog in her throat, stomach flipping wildly as one of his strong hands moved down her neck to settle on her shoulder.

"Stay with me?" he kissed her under her jaw and down the pale skin of her neck.

"But we just met," her rational mind ruthlessly insisted. It didn't matter that the man currently driving her to distraction made her feel complete, like for the first time in her life her search was over; he being what she'd been searching for the whole time.

"Does that bother you? Does our age difference bother you?" Arman let his palm gently brush against the side of her breast as it moved down to her waist.

Lucy shuttered at the feeling unable to answer. It really didn't bother her. Age were just numbers that had nothing to do with a person's relative maturity and disparities as large as Lucy was sure they had meant nothing as long as open communication and respect were integral parts of the relationship. It was the speed and intensity of her feelings for this man she only knew as a political figure that had her hesitating.

"I can wait you know, wait for you to be comfortable. I know you're Fioren so you're not familiar with our culture and customs here. Our views on freely sharing pleasure openly with anyone we find attractive that isn't already spoken for is bound to chaff so it'll take time to adjust to life here. Time that I can spend teaching you, spending time with you so we can get to know each other better. Just please… Stay with me."

Tears welled up in her eyes. All Lucy could do was nod yes knowing deep down this man already own her mind, body and soul. Her heart sung in joy as his warm soft lips sealed over hers softly, tenderly. It was her first kiss and it made her soul sing.

Arman held the woman close, the spark he'd been searching for since his grief for his late wife had abated was back and he would do everything in his power to never let anything take it away from him again.

His life would inevitably would have to chance but to have Lucy with him? It was worth it.

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1 month later

The Pradesh family gathered for their father's engagement dinner to celebrate Lucy's acceptance to his proposal and to introduce her to all of his friends.

"He found her again."

Farron looked to his side, sky blue eyes taking in the woman's expression at her comment. "Aunt Minda?"

The old family friend smiled brightly. "I don't know how it happened but Ganier managed to find Arman again. She's not exactly the same but I'd know my childhood friend anywhere. The way her nose crinkles when she's thinking, the way her smile is just a little crooked when she's really happy. Even the way she locks her pinky around your father's is the same." The general sighed patting the shoulder of the boy she helped raise gently before walking away.

 _Good for you Ganier. You found him again and brought back his happiness. Now hopefully I can finally move on,_ she thought before joining the happy couple in their idle chatter.

"You think it's true?" Farron asked as Bickslow walked up to him knowing perfectly well all of his siblings had been listening into that conversation. They had all been concerned about how Minda would take the news of their father once again passing her by for another. It seems they didn't give the woman enough credit.

"Could be. Their souls were never tentative towards each other."

"And Lucy would have been conceived around the time Mom was killed," Kaleb added standing to Farron's other side. Out of all the siblings everyone could agree he was the most striking. Built like Cristoff but with long platinum blonde hair and pale lavender gray eyes the man defined masculine beauty. Farron on the other hand looked like his father but with his mother's clear blue eyes and hair the rare deep blonde he'd inherited from his mother's mother.

"Then there's the way Zen responded to her," Farron nodded to said brother who just swooped in to twirl Lucy around eliciting happy giggles right in the center of attention.

"No lust, no compelling draw and the most telling of it all…no suspicious hesitation." Kaleb added, "Which only happened when reunited with you and Dad when we finally got back."

Farron watched as Lucy bopped Zen on the nose playfully, his eyes crossing before he chuckled and that's when he finally saw what Minda was talking about. After years of watching old family videos the familiar scene from over 20 years ago played out before his eyes again only with a much older Zen and Lucy instead of his mother.

Tears burned the back of his eyes realizing that maybe somehow he really did have his mother back.

"It doesn't matter in the end though does it? Lucy's a wonderful girl and makes Father happy." He nodded his head as if coming to a decision before joining his father as they watched Lucy and Zen's innocent play as she chased the hardened warrior innocently around the room.

"It's nice to see him smile again," Arman shared with his oldest son.

"It's nice to see you really smile again too."

"You know what would make this old man even happier?" Arman asked.

"Hmm?" Farron asked unsuspectingly.

"Grandbabies."

The groan the followed was in surround sound as each on Arman's children realized their reprieve from matchmaking was too good to be true.

-The End-


End file.
